Experiment 3547
by RuthanneReid
Summary: The situation: five of the most seductive, manipulative men in anime competing against one another. The prize: domination of any 12 people in the world of their choice. The game: played down and dirty. It doesn't get any better than this.
1. Default Chapter

**The Players **

Akio's day started out fairly normally. 

As the resident representative of adult sexuality in his magically built world, Akio Ohtori had the unique privilege of never, ever having to be bored. Today was a good case in point; after rising, refreshed from his night's sleep, he had showered, dressed, and gone to breakfast - landing no fewer than three undergraduate students and one student council membe along the wayr. By lunchtime, he had added another from both categories to the list of conquests.

The challenge, of course, was always convincing Utena to join him, but he was already at work on that; he'd already gotten her to blush over lunch, and that in itself was a major accomplishment. Smooth and sure of himself, Akio headed back to his tower after the midday meal, concentrating on things a million miles away rather than close up - and so, never saw it coming.

Anthy paused in her act of pouring the afternoon tea; she could have sworn she'd heard her brother on the stairs - yet, there was no one there now. Akio was nothing if not good at entrances, so when it became apparent that he was not going to appear, Anthy put down her tea set and went to look for him.

Hm. How strange; he wasn't there. 

...Akio was no longer anywhere.

Ah, well, she thought to herself, and resumed pouring tea with a shrug. Whatever mystery it was would be sort itself out soon enough. 

* * *

Nakago looked out on his kingdom in the morning light, his hair catching and keeping the golden rays of the sun. To the east - the hated east - he could see smoke rising from the camps of his enemies.

It was almost over.

Wishes had been made, gods had been called; madness spread, plague sewn - innocence taken, pain dealt, but it _still was not enough_. It would never be enough; driven by his own impulses and desires, Nakago surveyed his country. Despising the weakness of his underlings in a vague sort of way, he analyzed his enemies with all the precision of a watch maker, missing no detail that might enable him to do what he willed.

Plots like chess strategies formed in his mind, perfectly angled, all potential pitfalls worked out even before orders to fulfill those plans passed his lips. Silent and still, he regarded the betraying smoke from his nemesis' campfire like a dark and beautiful god, sure of his success because he could not be any other way. Finally nodding, he turned toward the tunnel that opened to the lower halls, walking with that unique step only born leaders seem to have.

He disappeared the moment he moved through the doorway. Abruptly unsheathed and abandoned, his sword clattered to the palace stones and lay still.

* * *

Treize Kushrenada had a love for beautiful things. He found them heady, exciting; and to see passion in those things and people he found beautiful was simply more intoxicating than anything else on earth.

Or in space. Why be limiting?

He stood in the window of his observation room, hidden from sight by the one-way glass, and watched Zechs Marquise move through a smooth and uninterruptable training routine. Random soldiers had provided him with various props, enabling the powerful moves he made to contact with something other than empty air. Zechs moved with a cool passion; a kind of coldness and expertise that made him both frightening and exhilirating to watch. He moved fluidly, easily, and was obviously was without equal in that setting. Really, the only person - other than Treize - who could beat Millardo in hand-to-hand combat was Wufei; and the only person who could beat WUFEI... was Treize.

Ruling the world was nice; but it was even better knowing you deserved the position. 

Smiling pleasantly and quite full of himself, Treize put down his highball and turned to go; there was a speech to be made that evening, one regarding the danger from the colonies and the activities of the gundams thus far. 

He took three steps down the hallway and simply disappeared. The security cameras trained on the area seemed to waver for a moment, filling their screens with static and revealing no secrets. It had been done so quickly and so quietly that it was half an hour before anyone knew he was gone.

"Lord Treize?" asked Une, but he was nowhere to be found. Remaining calm, Une paged him from her terminal; but after fifteen minutes, it was obvious there was going to be no response. Panicked, Une began to search.

The compound went on red alert half an hour later.

* * *

Fuuma and Seishirou leaned against the structure of Sunshine 60, sharing a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone and regarding the throngs of humanity before them.

Not one member of said throng knew just how close death was lurking.

Seishirou adjusted his sunglasses and handed the cone back to Fuuma. "Hold this for me, would you?" he said genteely, pulling up the sleeves of his coat just a bit and starting to chant. His goal was to stain this particular kekkai with blood so Fuuma could destroy it, pushing fate that much closer to the edge of the world - and all before those pathetic dragons of heaven even knew where they were going to strike.

It really was terribly easy.

"Sure," Fuuma said amiably. He enjoyed death and destruction as much - or more, really - than the next person. Much more, actually, but why quibble?

Seishirou picked a random target, called on power from the Sakura Tree, pulled back his fist to strike...

And then suddenly, everything went black. Released, the ice cream cone fell to the ground and splattered.

* * *

**The Setting**

Seishirou was the first to awaken. 

Perhaps it had something to do with his innate magical abilities, or perhaps it was because he used an outside - and therefore less affected - power source. Whatever the reason, he opened his eyes before anyone else to see a very odd person with very odd pink hair hovering directly over his face.

He gasped. "You!" said he, sitting straight up and regretting it immediately after. Holding his head, the Sakurazukamori - heir to a family of assassins that had existed since before Christ and the unmatched master in the world of yin-yang magic - cursed like a sailor and lay back down again.

"Ooh, you wanna be careful there, honey," the pink-headed lady said brightly, an almost motherly smile stealing across her face. "You just had one hell of a trip, and here you are awake and I don't have the subjects for the experiment ready yet! Oh, ho! Ha ha! Hee...." The pink-haired wonder grinned like the devil herself, leaning into his face.

"Subjects?" Seishirou asked blearily, sliding back a little. From the corner of his eye, he could see several other men in this room; he noted vaguely that they all seemed to be more than moderately attractive and about his age - and also completely unfamiliar. Aside from Fuuma, that was.

"Subjects!" Pink-lady repeated cheerfully, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Now, you won't tell them you saw me, will you, Sei-chan? That might be... confusing." 

Seishirou snorted, propping himself up on his elbows. "I doubt they'd know who you were. There aren't many left who study the old gods' ways like I do."

She waggled her eyebrows lasciviously. "That's their problem, not YOURS, isn't it, honey?"

Seishirou sighed. "I won't tell," he said calmly, feeling his pockets for a pack of cigarettes. "But I won't participate, either - in... whatever this is."

"Oh, saa... be a spoil sport." The woman pouted. Then she suddenly smiled "Seiiiiiii-chan...." she sing-songed. "You. Are. So. CUTE!" she exclaimed, and abruptly leapt into his lap.

Seishirou jumped, but did not dare push her off - not even, God forbid, when she started to snuggle his chest like a teddy bear.

"Oooh, I've wanted to do that for a SUCH a long time! Glomping! GLOOOOMPing!!" she shrilled brightly, her tone light and cheerful and her expression positively blithe - 

All except for her eyes.

Seishirou shuddered. Those were the eyes of a child who captured bugs just to see how much they could be played with before they died.

"Well, the others are waking up now," she added, standing once more and brushing herself off. "See you on the other side, Sei-chan!" She blew him a kiss; then with a flash and a cackle, she was gone.

Seishirou sighed and rolled his shoulder, working the kinks out. To his left, another prisoner woke up.

Treize blinked at the squared, tiled room. ALL of it was tiled in grayish-blue; floor, ceiling, and walls. The light source was untraceable; any exit or entry was thoroughly concealed.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Treize asked suavely, trying to stand. To his credit, he neither shook nor blubbered; in fact, his eyebrows slightly raised, he looked almost... bored.

Seishirou smiled inwardly. Well, well, goddess... what HAD you gathered here?

In the corner, Nakago stirred. With the trained reflexes innate to a life-time soldier, he leapt to his feet and drew his swo...

He took one moment to register its loss, then another to swear mutiltation and death upon whomever had done such a thing; then he looked around. He didn't know where he was, and he had no idea who these people were... but he was GOING to come out of this the victor... whatever this was. He crossed his arms.

"I am Nakago of the holy army of Seiryu. Why have you brought me here?" Nakago exuded pure force - emotional, mental, physical, and magical. It was obvious very few people would ever dare to gainsay him.

Unforutnately for him, those people gathered in this room happened to all fit squarely into that category.

"We were hardly the ones to do that," Akio said smoothly, climbing to his feet and leaning against the wall. He'd been dropped rather roughly, for some reason or other, and was having trouble regaining his balance. "I rather suspect we are all prisoners here. Are we not?"

No one volunteered anything different.

"Fuck," said Fuuma congenially, standing shakily against the opposite wall. 

"I'd rather not just now, thanks," said Akio, still holding his head and looking around. For heaven's sake, no one ELSE seemed to be this beaten up...

Fuuma glared. "Who asked you?" he demanded, and Seishirou raised an eyebrow. He'd never seen the /kamui/ of earth behave in any way other than suave, and found this rather odd.

As if reading Seishirou's thoughts, Fuuma straightened and adopted his usual cool expression. "May I ask just what, exactly, it is that you want from us?"

Before anyone had the chance to answer, one of the walls rumbled. Four tiles, stacked vertically, shifted inward, and suddenly there was a door. And standing IN the door...

Akio blinked. "Arisugawa-san?"

Juri glared impassively. "Good. You're all awake. It's time to receive your orders."

"Orders?" repeated Nakago, sounding highly affronted and looking as though he'd much rather be doing something else - whipping people, or something. He liked whipping people. A lot.

Seishirou restrained a smile and stepped further back into the shadows. _Whatever you have in mind, Washu-sama, _ he thought caustically, _I won't play along__ - but I WILL watch._

* * *

Behind the monitor in another room, Washu sighed; well, one party-pooper could be expected in every crowd. At least Sei-chan could be counted on for some extra feedback.

Washu smiled as she watched Juri Arisugawa - who was definitely the only female in ANY plane of existence who could withstand the raw sexual power in that room - hand a packet of papers to each man. Juri had been an excellent choice.

Even if she HAD been a bit rough when delivering Akio.

Washu steepled her fingers and waited for the gentlemen to read, eager and ready to put forth the first subject for observation. The Experiment had begun.


	2. Experiment 3547, part two

**The Incentive**

Treize read over the contract with a critical and well-trained eye. Without looking up, he said, "And the remuneration is guaranteed?"

Juri snorted. "Yes," she said shortly, and left it at that. Juri being Juri, nobody dared to doubt her. 

Nakago took three powerful strides and loomed over her. "But how will these things be accomplished?" he asked. "And who will be the judge?" He leaned closer, quiet and sensual intimidation leaking from every pore. "You will tell me... now."

Juri turned the Juri-Death-Glare on him. "Back off, bucko."

Nakago, to his credit, maintained his Impressive Presence for an entire seven seconds before paling and backing away. 

She nodded, pleased. "I'm not going to tell you who your judge is. Just suffice it to say she knows your thoughts as well as your actions - don't think you can fool her for an instant."

Akio was still reading over the contract. "But we have to successfully... seduce the subject?"

"Physically, mentally, emotionally - it doesn't matter how. You have to exert a certain level of influence over the subject before he or she will be considered 'seduced.' The level involved is determined entirely by the quality of the subject him or herself, and the judge's own discretion."

"Are they warned ahead of time?" Treize asked.

"No," said Juri. "They don't know why they're here any more than you do."

"You just SAID why we're here, bitch," Fuuma fumed, and Seshirou looked at him oddly again. Fuuma was the youngest of those here, true, but also by far one of the most influential; and yet, for the second time in twenty minutes, he'd suddenly... slipped. This was not at all typical behavior for Fuuma Monou.

Seishirou watched with peaked curiosity as Fuuma peered at Juri, clearly trying to read her heart.

Juri Looked at him.

And in response, Fuuma did something Seishirou never expected in a lifetime of lifetimes. "Um... sorry," Fuuma said, and backed off.

Seishirou stared.

Juri nodded again, either not seeing Seishirou's shock or ignoring it. "You have no time limit. Some of the subjects are familiar to at least one of you in order to ease transition - after all, you have been guaranteed bonuses if you work together - although of course, handicaps will be assumed on the part of those who DO know each other. You will also be given strangers, without any information on their backgrounds, and for those you will be metaphorically on your own. Questions?" She looked around the room.

Five beautiful and absolutely wicked men looked back, not a query among them.

"Fine," said Juri, and held out five pens. 

There was a moment of hesitation, and then Akio sighed. 

"I might as well be the first to step forward," he said, affecting resignation. He was not, honestly, too upset; really, this stood to be fun.

Juri had saved an extra-special Disgusted Glare for him, and she bequeathed it on him now. Akio pretended not to notice his hands shaking as he handed back the contract.

"And nothing... ah, undesirable will happen if one of us loses, correct?" Treize asked before he signed, just to be sure.

"Correct," said Juri as Fuuma signed his contract and gave it back to her with a sigh.

"Fine," Seishirou, signing his. He wasn't going to play - but not signing would be bad for morale and would interfere with the game. 

Nakago didn't say a word as he signed his contract. He was already running through various strategies he could use to win - and trying to find loopholes in the "you may not harm or kill or enchant or in any other way hinder another contestant's successfully seduced subject" line in paragraph six.

Treize smiled and brushed Juri's hand as he passed his contract back. 

Juri did not react. Washu had chosen her well.

"Good luck, gentlemen," she said, sounding as though she meant the opposite, and left. Once she'd gone, the doorway that had opened in the wall closed behind her, and there was no visible indication of where it had been.

Seishirou sighed; what a day. Seduce the most subjects, indeed; although he had to admit that the prize - total domination of any twelve people in the world of their choice - was very tasty, the question really was whether or not it were worth the price.

Not to mention why Washu was doing this in the FIRST place.

Nakago thoughtfully studied the corners of the room, where the mysterious Judge had somehow arranged for there to be total darkness. The idea, Juri had said, was so that anything that seemed likely to get messy could go and get messy in private.

Less confusion that way.

_And more opportunity_, thought Nakago to himself, but he kept his mouth shut.

Fuuma eyed him. "I know your wish," he said, and Nakago glared at him with annoyance.

"Shut up," he snapped, and Fuuma - once again decidedly out of character - gave him the finger. 

For the second time in as many minutes, Seishirou stared. "/Kamui/-san - are you quite all right?"

"Shut up," Fuuma echoed at him, and marched to the other side of the room.

Treize ignored the quibbling. "I wonder who the first subject is going to be..." he mused, and as if that had been a cue, the door opened once more.

Chang Wufei came stumbling into the room, _sans_ any weapons and looking very dazed. 

All the men blinked.

Wufei blinked back at them.

"Have fun," came Washu's voice from nowhere, and the door in the wall closed.

"Kuso," Wufei muttered.

In her observation chamber, Washu smiled. "Round one... begin."

* * *

**Subject #1: Chang Wufei, Gundam Wing, 13:00 hours**

Akio stepped forward immediately, concern written on his features and hands slightly raised in helpful consideration; he'd never been one to waste an opportunity. "Another one..." he said sadly, shaking his head. "Are you all right? Some of us were treated rather... roughly when we were brought here." His hand hovered by Wufei's arm, not quite touching.

Wufei glared. No touching. "Yes," he said warily, glancing around the room and trying to understand who was here and why. He spotted Treize and his eyes nearly fell out of his head.

"Wufei," said Treize amiably, and Wufei inhaled through his teeth. 

"BASTARD!" Wufei cried, and leapt at him. Akio attempted to restrain Wufei with an arm around his waist, and almost received a broken neck for his efforts.

Wufei was nothing if not good at hand-to-hand combat. 

"Let me GO!" Wufei demanded, and knocked Akio into the wall behind him before leaping once more at the very amused Treize Kushrenada.

"Oh, my," Treize said mildly as he fended Wufei off.

"Hey... HEY! Cut that out, we're all on the same side here!" Fuuma shouted, putting on his best harmless-school-boy impression. Tackling Wufei, he took advantage of his own bigger bulk to pin Wufei to the ground.

Which lasted all of thirty seconds.

Wufei growled like a caged lion and threw him off; fortunately, Akio broke his fall.

"Ow," groaned Akio.

"ENOUGH!" declared Nakago, and interposed his impressive self between Wufei and Treize. His entire bearing screamed "soldier," so Wufei paused before attempting to leap past him.

"We are all prisoners here! There is no excuse for this kind of foolishness - you will behave yourself in a civilized manner or you will be rendered unable to act at all!" Nakago reprimanded, speaking as he would to a young soldier who'd gotten out of line. And young, he was - this boy in front of him could have been no older than fifteen.

Wufei clenched his jaw. He looked past Nakago to Treize, who was wearing a very innocent, puzzled look. "Fine," he growled, and relaxed his stance. 

Nakago nodded once in approval. "I am Nakago."

"Wufei," Wufei said automatically, obviously responding well to Nakago's regimented bearing. He glared once more at Treize and stalked back toward the wall with the door.

Akio was still untangling himself from Fuuma.

Wufei snorted at them both, but did not bother to apologize. Hey, he didn't want to get hit, he shouldn't have grabbed.

"Um... Fuuma," Fuuma said with a smile, still affecting the mildly-shy highschool student persona and holding out one hand.

Wufei ignored his hand. "Wufei," he said again, crossing his arms as he glared. "So why are we here?"

No one answered for a moment.

"We're not entirely sure, Wufei," Akio said, letting the name slide from his lips as though it tasted like honey and he were not entirely willing to share. "I suppose it is a test of strength."

"Strength?" Wufei said warily, glancing at Akio once before turning to study the wall he'd come through. For some reason, looking at that oddly-colored man was distracting.

"Yes," Akio soothed alluringly, straightening his shirt and walking closer. "Strength. All of us here are leaders in our own realms; not necessarily that important, but definitely strong. I doubt you would be in here with us unless you were, as well."

"Uh, huh," said Wufei, affecting disinterest as he ran his fingertips over the cracks between tiles. Why in the world was he suddenly very aware of Akio's body heat? It made him uncomfortable, for some reason, and he wasn't sure why.

Akio brushed his arm, and Wufei jumped back as though stung.

"Now, now, Wufei," Treize tried, his tone soothing and calm as if speaking to a wild animal. "Don't be rude. Akio-san is just trying to make you feel more at home - which, obviously, my own presence has not done." He managed to sound regretful.

Wufei all but spit at him. "I will never be at home until you are dead," he seethed, eyes burning - but deep in his mind, a strange seed of doubt had started to form.

Something... something about all these men; something was FAMILIAR about all of them. Somehow... 

They all reminded him of Treize.

Fuuma made him jump by lightly touching his back from behind. "You know Treize-san?" he asked compassionately. Treize stiffened slightly. No need to make it seem like such a BAD thing...

"We... have met," Wufei said, moving a step away from Fuuma's unfamiliar touch. Why was everybody touching him in here? Weirdos....

He was surprised to find Nakago right in front of him.

"How?" Nakago demanded, his laser blue eyes narrowed. "This man is... without honor," he said, pulling a word out of thin air that he did not use often but had a gut feeling was important the present victim. And, as usual, he was correct.

Wufei's eyes went slightly wider and his body lost some of its tension. "Yes," he said. "That bastard killed my people."

Treize sighed. THIS again... and what was with him being the bad guy all of a sudden? He gave a mildly ungrateful look to Fuuma and Nakago, but of course, it was ignored. 

Nakago nodded, moving an inch or so closer. "Then your fight against him is just. I should not have stopped you," he purred, pleased - apparently - with what he now perceived to be Wufei's motivation.

Flushing slightly and extremely uncomfortable, Wufei stepped back again - only to run directly into Akio, who had moved even closer while Wufei had turned his back.

"I..." Wufei said, trying to fight his seemingly insane instincts to just scream and run like hell. 

"Oh - a man of honor," Akio purred as only Akio can. "No wonder you were put in here with the big boys." And he smiled, his expression not quite teasing or pleased.

Wufei's instincts were now screaming at him. And what was... 

That... buzzing, warm sort of...

...pleasant... almost drowsy...

Wufei came to the realization that he was for some reason beginning to respond sexually to the proximity of these three men just as Akio touched him gently from behind, trailing gentle, strong fingers up his spine; at the same moment, Nakago traced his war-roughened fingers down Wufei's cheek and across his collarbone. Wufei shivered.

Impossible. He could NOT be. He could NOT...

"You look warm, Wufei," Akio said in a low, vibratory voice, desire sharpening his features. "Is there something we can... do for you?"

Wufei stared at him for one moment, his eyes like saucers - and then he went ballistic.

* * *

**Experiment #1, Chang Wufei 14:50 hours - End**

Juri sighed, pouring Washu another cup of tea and looking very bored. "He's been on the ceiling for almost two hours now, Washu-san. He's not coming down."

Washu sighed as well, watching the screen and taking the tea cup without looking. "Oh, I know... but you've got to admit he's kind of CUTE up there."

On the observation screen was a very strange sight. Five men, impossibly gorgeous, gathered around something that appeared to be hanging from the ceiling. A moment of study revealed that something to be a human body - specifically that of Chang Wufei. He was somehow clinging to the ceiling tiles with all four limbs.

"NO!" came through the loudspeakers.

"Oh, come on, now, we're not going to bi-" Akio started.

"NO!" Wufei screamed again.

Washu sighed; true to his word, Seishirou had yet to do ANYTHING but watch. At least he seemed to be getting a laugh out of it.

On the screen, Nakago finally lost his temper. It had been two hours, this was getting nowhere, and Seishirou in the corner kept _snickering_ at them. "Oh, that is IT," he seethed, and in one smooth movement, leapt up to grab Wufei's waist.

Wufei did not budge. Now, with Nakago hanging off him, he looked very much like an oddly shaped piñata.

"Leggo!" demanded Nakago.

"NO!" shouted Wufei.

"GIVE IT UP!" ordered Nakago.

"NO! NO NO NO!" Wufei reiterated, and would not so much as look down. Being hit on by a man was bad enough, but actually starting to RESPOND...

Wufei was not coming down. EVER. 

Nakago squirmed and pulled and scrabbled, but finally had to admit defeat and drop down; the boy might as well have grown roots. The contract specifically forbade Nakago from drawing blood at this point, or else he would have done considerably more to get the boy's attention; he was beginning to regret signing the damned thing. Damn that contract... had to be a way around it....

Fuuma had tried everything. He'd tried cajoling, he'd tried talking, he'd tried sympathizing... he'd tried everything short of knocking Wufei in the head to get him to come down, and was simply at the end of his rope. 

As Nakago dropped back to the floor, Fuuma decided that he had Had Enough. And when Fuuma had Had Enough, quite simply, it meant _something_ was going to die. He chose Wufei.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" he suddenly roared, and gathering his power as the /Kamui/ of the dragons of earth, sent a large bolt of power at the intended subject.

* * *

"Oh, NO you don't," Washu said, sounding annoyed, and pressed a button; suddenly, in The Room, there was no Wufei.

Suddenly, Wufei was in the observation deck with her and Juri.

"ACK!" Wufei said, stumbling backwards; to be horizontal and fighting gravity for nearly two hours did nothing good for muscle control.

"Careful there," Juri said, steadying him and looking at him with definite motherly concern. Wufei recognized the look, randomly associated it with Sally Po, relaxed his muscles - and in response to either the sexual stress of the previous room or perhaps having been upside down for 118 minutes of it - passed out.

"Aw..." Juri said somewhat uncharacteristically, and caught him as he fell.

Washu sighed. "Oi, was THAT ever a flop," she muttered derisively, pouring herself some more tea. "Two points from Fuuma. Oh, and Juri-san... take good care of Wufei before you put him back. Be sure to reward him with something. He got out of there with what purity he has intact; whatever the circumstances, that's... kind of impressive."

"Acknowledged," Juri said, and dragged him out of the room.

"Bah," Washu said. "Time for the next subject." With that she hit the small green switch next to the monitor, and let happen what would.


	3. Experiment 3547, part three

Silence followed Fuuma's rash action.

"That was... premature, Fuuma-kun," Akio chided gently, his expression subtly indicating that he found the boy to be lacking.

Fuuma shifted, gaze flicking guiltily from one man to another. "It's not my fault," he said, sounding more whiny and more his age than the /Kamui/ of the dragons of earth had any right to be. He pointed at Treize. "If the subject hadn't hated HIM so much, we would've been FINE!!"

"For someone who finds humanity so disgusting, you've certainly acquired its habit of passing the blame," Treize replied in irritation. It wasn't so much that he minded being villianized; he minded the fact that he could have lost his new favorite pet because of a temper tantrum. He hadn't even really gotten to PLAY with it yet.... 

"You'll be lucky if you aren't excluded from the remaining games, Fuuma," Seishirou said smoothly as he lit a cigarette. In the dark corner he'd chosen, the flickering of his lighter made him look absolutely demonic. "I'd suggest you keep on your best behavior from now on, ne?"

"But I didn't WANT to be in the games in the first place!" Fuuma cried, getting angry again. "And I can't feel anybody's - " 

"Anybody's WHAT, Fuuma-kun?" Akio said darkly, rubbing his arm where he'd made close friends with the wall. "If you're referring to a loss of powers, I believe we've all suffered that to some extent. My one touch should have been enough to own him."

Fuuma snorted. "Aren't we full of ourselves," he muttered, but Akio did not respond. He didn't see the need.

"Ah, no smoking in here, if you please, Seishirou-san," Akio requested. "The scent does take forever to get out of one's clothing."

"Hm?" asked Seishirou, distracted by the sudden and powerful realization that Fuuma could not read anyone's wishes; this knowledge was giving Seishirou an almost heady sense of power. "I thought you DID smoke."

"Only the manga version," Akio said, shrugging fluently.

"Ah, so? Very well, then," Seishirou acquiesced, casually pinching the end of the cigarette and then hiding it away somewhere on his person.

"Inexcusable behavior like that won't be allowed again," Nakago said evenly, looking with condemnation at Fuuma for a moment; then he went back to studying the ceiling where Fuuma's blast had hit. Amazing; such power, and yet the tiles were not even scorched. Whatever material this was was truly something to be reckoned with.

"Gentlemen, there is no use in squabbling," Seishirou said easily, smiling as though all of this were for his private amusement alone. "Next time we'll simply bide our time a little more carefully, and perhaps pause to share information before leaping in head-first - ne? After all, Juri-san DID say the reward for teamwork would be... even greater."

Treize nodded. "This is true, Seishirou-san," he said, absolutely oozing smooth. He glanced again at Fuuma. "I can assume, then, that we will not be seeing a repeat performance...?" Treize's usual method of lilting his tone with doubt, with the slightest lack of respect, did not serve to manipulate Fuuma as it would have any normal person. 

"As long as you jerk-offs don't move too damned FAST next time," Fuuma snapped, pouting at the floor. 

"Good gods," Seishirou exclaimed softly, unable to help himself; and for the first time, began to apply what this meant. Fuuma could not read his wish; could not read anybody's wish - and was not nearly as powerful as he had been.

There was possibility here.

"We were not moving 'too damned fast,'" replied Nakago, looming in voice if not in body. "We would have succeeded had YOU controlled yourself."

"CONTROLLED myself? HA!" Fuuma laughed, and pointed. "Your prey was ON THE DAMNED CEILING!"

At that very moment, the door opened, and the next subject was pushed into The Room.

Nappa blinked at the men and scratched his backside.

The men blinked back.

"Se.... duce..." Fuuma choked out.

Everybody screamed.

* * *

"Oh, whoops!" said Washu, quickly hitting a few more buttons to make Nappa _Go Away_. Boy, that wasn't even the right ANIME; had to be more careful. Could break people's MINDS doing something like that...

* * *

"Sorry," Washu's voice came over the speaker as Nappa suddenly disappeared. "I wouldn't force you to work with that; ugh. Here. Your genuine target."

And suddenly a young, red-haired woman in a pink jumpsuit came flying through the door, much to the relief of the men present.

"Oh, GODS," Akio swore, clutching at his chest.

"Curse them AND their senses of humor," Nakago panted, looking quite pale. 

Fuuma had yet to recover sufficiently to say anything.

"That wasn't FUNNY, Washu," Seishirou muttered under his breath, resisting the nervous, ingrained impulse to light up a cigarette.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" screamed the newcomer, and round two began.

* * *

**Experiment #2: Sawaguchi Kome, Blue Seed, 15:00 hours**

The girl looked around at them all, panting slightly as she eyed them, and panicked. Spinning quickly, she flung herself at the door, beating on it with both fists and imploring it to open in language that would make most sailors blush. 

Treize attempted to resurrect the situation. 

"Miss. Miss; MISS!" he said, stepping forward and catching her left hand gently but firmly, as if to keep it from bruising. "Calm down, please! There is no need to fear here. Please - relax."

The girl eyed him for one moment with disbelief; then she attempted to slug him. Unfortunately for her, Treize was much, much faster; he dodged and her fist hit the wall. 

"Ow, ow, ow, DAMNIT!" she screamed, jerking back from his touch and gripping her right hand in her left, glaring at him as though it were his fault. "Don't touch me," she warned, eyes wide and wild as she looked around. "Don't any of you come NEAR me!"

Treize held both hands up in the traditional nobody's-going-to-hurt-you position. "All right, I won't touch you - but please don't seem so determined to bring yourself harm, or I will be forced to take... steps." As with everything Treize did - from assassination orders to peace talks - this statement came out as blatantly sexual; and as with the previous applicant, his connotations went right over the girl's head.

The girl bared her teeth like a wild animal. "I don't know who you freaks are," she seethed, "but you are not coming near me! NO ONE ELSE TAKES MY GUNS!"

There was a collective, slow blink.

_...apparently, we have gone from sexually repressed to mentally whacked,_ Seishirou shared easily with the rest of the group, glad for the fact that they all possessed some moderate telepathic skills.

Akio snorted softly. _Oh, really? I hadn't noticed, _ he replied sarcastically, stepping forward to take a turn. _ I do hope not ALL our guinea pigs are like this, or this is going to become tiresome very quickly._ He bowed. "Pardon me," he said, trying to catch the girl's eyes and using his sexy-but-responsible school-administrator voice. "I believe I speak for all of us when we say that no one is going to - ah, 'take your guns.'"

The girl snarled "That's what THEY said," she spit at him, scowling and trying to keep an eye on everyone at once. 

No one moved. 

After a few minutes of this, she seemed to decide that it was safe to share information, and spoke again. "I'm Sawaguchi. Kome. Work for the Terrestrial Administration Center, and who the hell are all of you people, anyway?" she said bruskly.

Akio looked her over. "My name is Akio," he said, not bothering with last names. "This is Nakago, Treize, Fuuma, and Seishirou."

Kome peered at the corner where Seishirou loomed in the shadows. "Sei..."

Akio put one hand on her shoulder and pointed with the other. "Seishirou-san. He seems to like standing in the dark; pay him no mind."

Seishirou raised one hand amiably. "Yo," he said.

Kome made a face. "Weirdo," she pronounced, and then seemed to realize that she was being touched. She turned, wearing what was probably a well-practiced, slow-burning glare. "Get. Your hand. Off...." Her last word trailed away; she had made the mistake of looking directly into Akio's eyes.

"Put my hand... where, Kome-chan?" Akio purred smoothly, cupping her cheek with his right hand and leaning a bit closer.

Kome was silent and starry-eyed for a full seven seconds; then she recovered. With no warning at all, she kneed him in the groin. 

Akio had never gotten that response before, in all his years of seducing. Doubling over, he groaned and fell to the side like a sack of bricks. 

* * *

Washu cracked up and doubled over as well, laughing so hard she almost sprayed her Orange Julius all over the screen.

Juri chuckled darkly. "Serves him right," she said, and grabbed a doughnut. 

* * *

Seishirou chuckled darkly. The Ladies Upstairs (and whomever might happen to be up there with them) must really be getting a kick out of this.

Kome put her hands on her hips and swaggered to the middle of the room, obviously pleased with herself. "All right, people," she said, moving in a tight circle so as to see everybody. "We're going to get a FEW things straight RIGHT now. Number one: NO touching the merchandise. You can look, but you can't grab - and any FURTHER touching such as this poor slob was doing over here will result in BROKEN hands and other body parts. Do I make myself perfectly CLEAR?"

No one answered her. Kome was used to a considerable amount of response to her behavior, so this was slightly unsettling; the four pairs of eyes that looked back at her seemed not in the least intimdated - however, she pushed on. 

"Number two: the center of the room, which is the most well-lit area, is now MINE. You freaks can stay in the corners and touch each other all you like - but NO one may come near me without my permission. Is THAT perfectly clear?" 

Again, there was no response; again, four pairs of eyes gleamed at her in the gloom, and Kome felt a distinct sensation with which she was not at all familiar: fear. Eying those present and casing the joint, she stated her third point. 

"Number three," she said, crossing her arms. "Why - for the love of God - am I apparently trapped in the MEN'S room?" She stopped circling, picked Nakago at random, and pointed at him. "You. I don't suppose YOU know?"

Nakago looked back, not at all amused. "No. Nor do I know a way out, or I would have taken it." He crossed his arms meeting her gaze with ease. "I hope you did not mean 'men's room' as an insult to my gender, Miss Kome, or we are going to have a problem." He was already thinking he had a problem; he would rather have liked very much to crush one of HER bones and see if she could still hold that superior attitude toward him. 

Kome looked at him, trying to inspect the whole package and keep in mind that he was Potential Enemy - in spite of being almost breathtakingly beautiful. "I said 'men's room' because you are all MEN - and clearly, I am not." She snorted at his lack of observational skills and sat down in the middle of the floor, arms and legs both crossed in a classic expression of defiance.

"You most certainly are not a man," Nakago said appreciatively. "Although one must wonder why one such as you was put in here; perhaps," he mused in low, shivery tones, looking her up and down, "because they thought you could handle yourself?"

Kome snorted. "Damn straight," she said with only the smallest catch in her voice, and looked away. It was, she found, considerably easier to think when not facing any of these "gentlemen" directly, although she wasn't sure why. 

No one said anything more for another five minutes.

* * *

"She's doomed," Juri said, taking a bite of her powdered doughnut and mmf-ing a curse when some of the sugar landed on her blouse. 

"Yeah, I know," Washu said. "It's only a matter of WHO, now."

"My money's on Fuuma," Juri said, wiping at her shirt and wondering if she'd rememebred to bring a spare in her overnight bag.

"Why?" asked Washu. She put her feet up on the board, watching the observation screens; Kome was still being quiet and stubborn down there.

"Because - well, just LOOK at him," Juri said, pointing at one of the screens.

Washu did. "Ooooh," she said, putting both feet on the floor and leaning closer to get a better look. "You're right - I think he's getting the hang of it. Oi," she said in second thought. "That could be bad."

"We'll see," Juri said, and smiled. This stood to be very, very interesting indeed. 


	4. Experiment 3547, part four

**Experiment #2: Sawaguchi Kome, Blue Seed, 15:24 hours - End**

Fuuma looked at Kome. He looked long, and he looked hard, and after close to half an hour, he thought he saw something. But this was not enough; he'd been without real _sight_ into the hearts of people for what felt like hours now, and it was frustrating - it was like being unable to feel, unable to hear, unable to taste.

And now....

It seemed he had at least part of the key to Kome's heart. His mood no more improved, he kept silent and continued to watch, thinking vaguely that perhaps he could take out some of his frustrations on her. There would be no more Wufeis on _his_ record.

Meanwhile, having apparently decided that Kome was going to require something heavier than mere speech and touches, Nakago began to adjust his strategy. Standing and adjusting his hair, he made his way casually over to the shadowed corner in which Seishirou had staked out his base.

Seishirou failed to react with any kind of awe. "Something I can do for you, general?" he said, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall.

"No," Nakago said simply, and began to strip.

Seishirou raised his eyebrows, but refused to comment and opted rather to enjoy the view in silence.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Nakago took off all the armor he was wearing and lay it against the far wall until he was left dressed in a plain white shirt and tight-fitting blue pants. The shirt he adjusted, tucked in, and a moment later he looked ready for a nightclub rather than a war.

"Impressive transformation," Seishirou said, eyeing him curiously. "New battle tactics?"

"Something like that," Nakago said, and leaned against the wall next to him, arms crossed. "It is, after all, easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar."

Seishirou chuckled darkly and lit up a cigarette in spite of previous requests; it wasn't as if anyone was presently paying attention anyway....

* * *

Kome had never been so uncomfortable in her life; it was true that she had no guns to work with and no knives to polish, but besides that, something about this entire situation was simply not _right_. The setup itself almost obscene as it was.

Almost.

Somehow, it was hard to label any of these men as specifically _obscene_; all of them were behaving like gentlemen and obeying her few, small requests - although she had the odd and not-quite-comfortable feeling that if they chose NOT to, there would be nothing she could do to stop them.

She didn't like feeling that way. Not at all.

"Would you like something to eat, Kome-chan?" Treize intoned gently, leaning toward her with eyes that seemed to be made to accompany intimate whispers in dark bedrooms.

Kome stared for one moment. "Not from you," she blurted, and looked away. Damnit... was she _blushing_? YES. That kami-damned FREAK had made her BLUSH...

Ooh, this was getting personal.

* * *

Washu chuckled softly. "Food, eh? What, they think I'm just going to drop it in there for their convenience?"

Juri snorted. "You are, aren't you?"

"Of course," Washu said, pressing some buttons. "I'm just amazed they figured it out so quickly."

"Well, Treize always was a smart bastard," Juri said, stealing one of the strawberries from the tray as it went by.

"Now, now," Washu gently chided. "THOSE are for the guests." And she grinned like the devil himself.

* * *

"Well, I think I could use some," Treize said, and stood up. He waited for a moment, listening carefully. Then came the soft, _shick_ sound of those odd tiles sliding back, and suddenly a tray laden with strawberries and warm chocolate syrup appeared at his side, jutting out from the wall.

_Well,_ he thought with a smile, and brought the tray over to her.

Kome ignored him and his tray. No food for her; she had decided.

...her stomach rumbled.

"Mm," Treize said, dipping one of the strawberries. "Oh, my, this _does_ looks good," he opined, tilting his head a little to the side as he inspected it. He held it out. "Do you want one?"

Kome ignored him.

Treize shrugged and took a bite, closing his eyes and savoring the hapless fruit considerably more than necessary. "Mmm... ooh, Mz. Kome... these ARE delicious!" confirmed the hedonist with a groan, tilting his head back just _so_, letting the gold in his hair catch the light.

And to her detriment, she looked.

Treize lay on the floor on his side, propped on one elbow with his lips parted. Head back and eyes closed, he held his hand with elegant poise just in front of his face, positioned so his first two fingers could just barely come into contact with his mouth. For all the world, he looked as though that strawberry had pushed him into a state of bliss heretofore unseen by man or beast, and Kome did the only thing she could.

She stared like a hungry dog at a Longhorn steak house.

Aware of this, Treize turned his head to look at her sidelong, eyes heavily lidded . "Do you want some, _Mz_. Kome?" said he, purring her courtesy title as though it were a secret name between lovers. 

Kome's throat worked; her mouth opened, then closed, but no sound other than a tiny bit of choking came out. Finally she managed to swallow once, and gathered enough of her wits about her to respond.

"N.... noo-ooo," she said with a little hiccup, clenching her fists in her lap.

Five men laughed softly at her response, and that finally spurred her back into action. Kome jumped to her feet. "You PERVERTED BASTARDS!" she pronounced, and aimed a furious kick at the strawberry tray.

Treize, contestant or no, had no desire to be covered in chocolate syrup, and he moved just in time to avoid it. The tray with its lovely food went smacking up against the wall right beside where the "door" remained hidden, and Kome herself stormed to the far side of the lighted center of the room. She glared hatred and curses in Treize's direction. 

"YOU," she said and pointed, vitriol dripping from every syllable, "will NEVER... come NEAR me... AGAIN!"

"Saaa... and why is that, Kome-chan?" interrupted a smooth, barely post-adolescent directly voice behind her, and Kome spun to find herself facing Fuuma's chest. Looking up slowly, she glared with shaky defiance in his face and crossed her arms. "Non of your kami-damned business," she cursed at him, spitting on the floor to emphasize her point.

Fuuma, however, was not bothered. Smiling and lowering his head a little so as to catch her eyes, he moved forward with inhuman grace and caught her arm. She hadn't expected such direct, forceful contact, and so did not initially fight back; and in that fleeting second, she lost her only chance for resistance.

"I know your secret," Fuuma said, suddenly leaning in close to her so his breath brushed her cheek. "I know why you fear love; why you fear attention, why even the moderate flirtings of my fellow men terrify you so much. I know your fear." His eyes softened, becoming, if possible more warm than any she had ever seen - except perhaps for her one and only boyfriend, the one who'd died in the Mothra attack of '84, the one whose warmth and love she would always remember because he had been the _only man who would ever truly love her_....

And looking into Fuuma's eyes, suddenly she knew that he knew that. And he understood it. And... he didn't judge her for it.

Fuuma brushed her lips with his. "I think you're beautiful, Kome-chan," he said, in a voice that sounded exactly like Tenchi-kun's had so many years before, and Kome's willpower broke. 

"N...n...nobody loves me!" she sobbed, and abruptly burst into tears. 

Fuuma made comforting noises and gathered her against his chest, petting her hair and kissing her head, pausing in the latter only to glare with triumph at the rest of the occupants of the room. "There, there, Kome-chan," he purred and pulled her with him into the dark. There were a few more noises, some hushed sounds of emotion, and then silence. 

Seishirou rolled his eyes. "Point for Fuuma," he said quietly, and Nakago nodded in silence. Privately, Nakago was very encouraged by this; Fuuma had obviously found the key to reviving some of his lost power, and if that undisciplined whelp had pulled it off, then surely HE could do the same.

Akio, meanwhile, was regarding the strawberries. "What a waste," he said calmly as Treize stood beside him. 

"Most assuredly," Treize replied. "But there will probably be more when we need it."

* * *

"There certainly will," Washuu confirmed, licking her fingers clean as she ate the last powdered doughnut. "So where does that bring us, Juri?"

"Twenty points for Fuuma for a successful seduction, mental, physical, and emotional; three points for Treize for a partial physical."

"Only three?"

"He spilled chocolate sauce on his shirt."

Washuu laughed aloud; experiments were good, but smart-ass assistants were even better, and as considered which guinea pig to release next, she couldn't help but smile. This was turning out to be a wonderful day after all.

* * *


	5. Experiment 3547, part five

Akio was finally able to stand about half an hour later, and he spent the remainder of this down time between victims being very peeved. If he hadn't known any better, he would have suspected that someone was trying to prevent him from making any headway; it was almost as though he'd been included in this for comic relief. Of course, he knew that was ridiculous, if not impossible, but he simply could not shake the feeling that the odds were against him.

It didn't matter. Akio decided that he was going to win the next round or make everyone regret that he had not - and that, as they say, was that. 

* * *

"Well, I don't know," Juri said, sweeping some crumbs off the computer console before setting down the large plastic covered notebook she carried. "We have lots of choices, of course, but... eh. That last one didn't really seem to be much of a challenge."

"Well, she wasn't - but then, Kome was pretty messed up. She might need a memory wipe before she leaves, but she'll certainly go with a better self image, at any rate. Remember, this IS supposed to be theraputic for the subjects on some level. Which reminds me," said Washuu, and pushed a button. Kome, who had just fallen asleep, was suddenly transported to a safe holding cell, where she could go right on sleeping in relative safety before being returned to her own home. She seemed fairly content, so all was well; it wasn't as if Fuuma was going to miss her.

"So who's next, whooooo's next," Washuu said, flipping through pages of possible subjects, each page lined with pockets that carried baseball-card sized information on various characters. "Hm... well. In the mood for a challenge, Juri-san?"

"Aren't I always?" Ms. Arisugawa affirmed, and ate another bon-bon. "Who are you thinking?" She looked at the card Washuu was touching, and her jaw fell open. "No... no, that's too mean, Washuu-sama. They'll never... do you think?"

Washuu just smiled. 

Juri laughed weakly and collapsed back into her chair. "You're a very frightening woman sometimes, Washu-sama," she said, and turned to watch the screen.

* * *

Seishirou sighed and wished for a cigarette. Or an ice cream cone. Or something - anything to break the monotony. Whatever his impression of this initially had been, he'd thought there would be more going on than this; for the last 40 minutes, there had been nothing. Well - except for the noises in the corner, and then a strutting and very full of himself Fuuma - but everyone knew _that_ didn't count. 

"So what are you thinking, Nakago-san?" he asked, watching the "door" in the opposite wall for any sign of its opening. "I thought, from what you said, you were going after that girl once you began to remove your armor. Or was that merely for my benefit?"

Nakago smiled coolly. "I didn't want that one," he explained, and left it at that. 

Seishirou chuckled. "You have a prerequisite?"

"Several," Nakago answered. "But I'm not going to tell them to you."

"Well, that's as you wish, then," Seishirou said and shook his head, smiling softly. Things, he supposed, could certainly be worse. 

And, at that moment, the door swung open.

A very pale, pretty young man stepped through, wearing casual slacks and a plain white shirt. He had extremely fine features; pale, almost grey hair and red eyes framed an sensitive face, but except for his almost albino appearance, he seemed to be relatively normal.

Seishirou, who was used to summing up a person's spiritual state the moment he saw them, took one look at this boy and inhaled softly. "Oh, my gods," he said, and decided to stay well back in the shadows. 

* * *

**Experiment #3: Nagisa Kaoru, Neon Genesis Evangelion, 16:00 hours**

The newest subject, calmer than any of the previous applicants had been, looked around and said nothing. He showed no surprise or confusion or anything else at all, which meant to Akio that the boy was either an extraordinarily good actor - 

Or one hell of a challenge.

"Greetings," Akio said, once again back in cool administrator mode. "I am Akio; this is Treize, Fuuma, Nakago, and Seishirou in the corner. And you are?"

The boy regarded him for a moment, head slightly angled to the side as if he were trying to understand a puzzling riddle. When he spoke, his voice was soft, but resonant - in spite of its youthful timbre, something about it made all five men in the room shiver. 

"I do not belong here," he said, sounding as if nothing in the world could interest him.

"None of us do," Akio confirmed, and took a step closer. No one else made a move; for whatever reason, they were letting Akio have this one on their own. Treize even stopped trying to clean off his shirt; it was as if he did not want to draw this boy's attention to himself.

"Now - your name, please?" Akio said, letting a hint of authority creep into his tone.

"Nagisa Kaoru," said the boy, still sounding dreamily uninterested. "I am a pilot."

"Oh, how... interesting," Akio purred, and took a step closer.

Treize, meanwhile, had backed into the shadows to join Nakago and Seishirou.

"What IS he?" Treize said _sotto voce_, leaning closer to Seishirou.

In response, Seishirou looked at him. "You can feel he isn't human?"

Nakago looked as well. "I thought you had no powers other than the psycho-sexual."

Treize shrugged lightly, eyes on Kaoru. "Technially, I do not - but practically speaking, I have a modicum of so-called 'intuitive' ability which assists me in my projects, and you have not answered my question."

Nakago looked at Kaoru. Seishirou looked at Kaoru. Neither of them seemed to have an answer.

Akio, meanwhile, had moved even closer. "Do you recall how you arrived here?" he asked solicitously, either not feeling the what the others felt or simply surging ahead in spite of it. 

Kaoru regarded him. "No," he said; and then added something very surprising. "You cannot seduce me," he said, and looked away as if bored.

Akio laughed softly, trying not to sound annoyed that this victim had been tipped off. "Seduce you? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"It is in your heart," Kaoru said, and walked past him.

"Now, wait a minute - " Akio said, and reached out to take the boy's arm. Several things then happened in quick succession.

One, Kaoru stopped walking; but he did not merely just _stop_ - he went utterly and completely _still_, as if he'd been on a television screen and someone had put him on pause. 

Two, Akio also stopped - but not quite for the same reason. Something strange was happening; he couldn't be sure quite what it was, but he knew that it made his head feel fuzzy and his body feel warm. His vision swam before him, then multiplied; in a moment, he was seeing three Kaorus - and somehow, they seemed to have gotten taller.

The remaining four competitors watched with interest as Akio, for no discernable reason, abruptly buckled at the knees and curled to the floor. Smiling vacuously, he stared at the ceiling as though it were the most fascinating thing on earth. 

Kaoru ignored him; turning his gaze to the dark shadows which held three of the remaining four, he spoke.

"Once I am seduced, I may leave?" he asked politely, looking around the room.

"I... think so," Fuuma said hesitantly, standing well back.

Kaoru nodded, then looked back toward the shadows. "There is only one here who may seduce me," he said, and headed right for them.

* * *

"What? WHAT? What the hell is happening?" Juri said, half-standing from her chair and staring at the screen.

"I don't know, I don't KNOW," Washu replied, typing frantically and watching the screen as well. What happened to Akio? Gods, his life signs are all over the place!" When Juri did not reply, Washu looked at her. "We need to get him out of there," she said, almost chidingly, and Juri came close to pouting.

"Do we have to?" she asked.

"Yes. Or he'll die. And you can say goodbye to Ohtori Academy."

Juri muttered, "That's his sister's doing, not his," but stood obediently anyway, intent on getting him and getting the hell out of there. 

Washu resumed typing, intending to remove Kaoru from the room as she had Wufei; but then, she paused.

"Juri," she said, interest creeping into her voice. "Look." 

And Juri looked; and what happened next amazed her.

* * *

Kaoru walked into the shadows, and as he did, they became light; frozen in revelation, the three men in the corner looked back at him, daring neither to speak nor attempt to flee - because truth be told, they could not.

Kaoru looked at them. "There is only one here who may," he said, fixing his eyes on the middle of the three men before him. "And that one knows the human strangeness known as love." With that, Kaoru walked up to Seishirou. Sliding his arms around the taller man's waist, Kaoru planted a kiss in the center of Seishirou's chest and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. "I am seduced," he said, and Seishirou grunted.

For a moment nobody moved; then, when Kaoru resumed his kissing of Seishirou's body, the light began to dim, and both Nakago and Treize knew it was time to move. They looked at one another over the boy's head for a moment, similar disbelief on both their faces, then stepped away.

There were a few sounds of protest from the renewed darkness; then the door in the wall opened and Juri stepped into the room again.

Disgustedly, she eyed Akio. "You stupid weakling," she said miserably as she hoisted him up by his arms. Turning back, she eyed the rest of the room. "You'll have a replacement competitor soon enough," she groused. 

Akio looked at her. "Pretty," he said, and Juri looked nauseated.

"...uuuugh," she muttered and dragged him away.

The protests from the corner grew louder, and in another moment Seishirou came back into sight, his clothing slightly rumpled.

"No," he said, saying it in such a way to indicate he'd already said it before and was going to KEEP saying it until it had effect. Clearly, the effect was nil; Kaoru could be seen approaching him in the dark, his eyes glowing dully red. "Washuuu," Seishirou growled warningly, and glared at the ceiling for response.

* * *

Washu, apparently, knew when enough was enough. With the soft _snick_ of one button, she removed Kaoru from the room, then turned to face Juri.

Akio had yet to awaken.

"Great. Just great," she muttered, not pleased how this had gone at all. "Now what do we do?"

"There's nobody else on your list you could use?" Juri asked, dropping Akio unceremoniously to the floor; well, he was HEAVY.

"No one I want to risk," Washu said, tapping her chin. "I know we have to keep an uneven number in The Room to maintain experiment paramaters, but... Hm. Unless..." She considered, looking at her list. "Maybe there is one."

Juri nodded. "I'll take bucket for brains here back to where he came from; hopefully he'll wake up in a while. And if he doesn't, I get his car."

Washu smiled weakly and waved her on. Juri picked up Akio and left again; it would take her perhaps five minutes to send Akio back via their interdimensional portal, and then whatever ailments he'd received became his sister's problem. Washu, meanwhile, turned back to The Room.

She knew whom she wanted to put in there; really, he was the only choice - and it seemed that there was currently enough distraction among the test subjects right now that she could afford the time to bring him in without much difficulty. Her attention split, she turned up the volume of the hidden microphones in The Room, and began to consult her database.

* * *

**Experiment #3: Nagisa Kaoru, Neon Genesis Evangelion, 16:10 hours - end**

Kaoru disappeared; Seishirou relaxed in clear and obvious relief. And Fuuma started laughing.

It was a low sound at first, growing in intensity as he continued laughing, the bass of his voice echoing just slightly in the far corners of the room. Seishirou tried to ignore it.

"Confirmation," Fuuma sing-songed, face and timbre both expressing clearly the fact that he already knew it, had already said it, and that this was one big 'I-told-you-so.' 

Still, Seishirou ignored him. Facing the darkness from which he'd just escaped, he stood rock-still, almost as stiffly as Kaoru had in that one frozen moment of time.

"Now, Fuuma," Treize said, and even though he was trying to help, there was a hint of something almost... condescending in his tone. "Leave the poor man alone. I wouldn't have wanted that creature crawling all over ME, either."

"Oh, he wouldn't have done that," Fuuma said, not acknowledging the plea at all. "You're not the one in love with somebody."

Nakago watched Seishirou calmly, analytically, cool scrutiny in his eyes. "You love," he said, stating it as an observation.

"Nonsense," Seishirou said finally, and with that, he retreated back into the darkness of his chosen corner. The flickering light of his cigarette could be seen a moment later. Fuuma kept laughing.

Treize sighed and ran a hand through his golden hair. "So... that was interesting," he observed, trying to steer the subject away from poor Seishirou. Really, what a thing to have happened... "I somehow doubt that was quite how the makers had intended this round to run - and who, by the way, is Washu?"

"Nn. I do not know; but he or she is clearly responsible for our current condition," Nakago said, still eyeing the darkness. "I don't suppose he or she is the one you love?"

Seishirou did not answer, but Fuuma's low chuckle soared into hilarity for a moment. "Oh, DEFINITELY not," he said, smiling like the devil with a secret in his hands. "No, not her - wouldn't you agree, Seishirou...san?"

Seishirou did not answer; the flickering of his cigarette was the only indication he was still there.

"And poor Akio has left us," Treize said, still trying to steer the topic away from Seishirou. He wasn't completley without compassion, after all. "I wonder who this replacement will be?"

And then the door opened.

In stepped a man. His initial impression, dressed all in white and with a stethescope in hand, was that of a doctor, and this impression was right; unfortunately, it did not reveal nearly enough.

The door slid shut behind him. Pocketing his stethoscope - he'd apparently been working - the man looked around with a strangely intense gentility and smiled.

"Good afternoon," he said. "I am Muraki Kazutaka. I was told that I was to join you."

* * *

And in her control room, Washu took a deep breath and crossed her fingers; the next round of the experiment had begun.


End file.
